Harry Potter and the Orb of Oracles
by Caracalla
Summary: It's the summer after Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts. He receives a letter from Professor Lupin.


Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all subsequent characters, places, magical creatures, etc ****

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all subsequent characters, places, magical creatures, etc. are not mine. They belong to J.K. Rowling and her publishers. No money will be made from this..blah, blah, blah.

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A note from the Author: I am really bad at starting stories. I usually begin in media res. I also have trouble finishing them; So, if you like this part even a teeny bit, please, review. I know it's boring right now and there's a little backstory going on, but it will be better once I can get away from the beginning. I have a few hopes for this. One is that people will enjoy this, Another, that it will be longish.

Tibi gratias ago pro legatam meam fabulam. (mm...Excuse my poor Latin. I just took the chemistry exam, and my brain is fried.)

Harry Potter and the Orb of Oracles

or 

My version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

The sun was determined. Like it or not, the inhabitants of number four Privet Drive were going to wake up and get an early start on their day. In his bed, Harry Potter screwed his eyes tight against the morning and stuffed his head under the pillow, but even if he could block out the light, the faint tapping on his window was enough to distract him from sleep. Harry jumped out of bed ready to take care of the annoyance and wondered as he strode toward the window and saw the feathery creature on the other side: "Who would send an owl out at this time of day?" It definitely was not common practice among wizards. Owls flying in broad daylight and carrying envelopes and packages would draw unwanted Muggle attention. 

Hedwig, Harry's own owl, was awake in her cage and peered out anxiously at Harry as he passed. He tried to open the window quietly as to not wake up anyone else. Vernon Dursely, Harry's uncle, would have a fit if he knew about this. He was continually fearful that their neighbors on Privet Drive would find out about Harry's "abnormality;" therefore, no talk of magic or Hogwarts was permitted in the house. Harry always missed his friends from Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardry during the summer. He had been able to stay with his best friend Ron Weasley last year and go to the Quidditch World Cup with him and his very large, extremely magical family, and Hermione Granger, as well. Hermione was another of Harry's closest friends; he almost hoped that the owl carried a letter from one of them, but all knew better than to send an owl before nightfall.

As he slowly inched the window open, the dark eyes of the owl watched him with intent. Soon, a charcoal streak was made across his vision and around his room and back out the window into the sky. Harry watched it fly toward the west before picking up the letter that had been deposited on his bed. The scribbled manuscript on the envelope looked only vaguely familiar. Whom was it from? Why was it so important? But as he opened it, a knot formed in the pit of his stomach, because he realized it might be about Sirius. 

His godfather, Sirius Black, had been Harry's father's best friend, but was currently wanted by the Ministry of Magic for the murder of Peter Pettigrew. As Harry and his friends had learned in their third year at Hogwarts, it was a crime he never committed; Pettigrew was alive and in the service of the most feared dark lord of all time, Voldemort. If he was caught, Sirius would either go back to Azakaban or worse receive the Dementor's Kiss.

Harry tore the letter in his haste to unfold it. It read: 

Harry,

I hope this gets to you before tomorrow morning.

If it does not, I apologize. I have waited too long 

to send this, but as there will be a full moon tonight, 

I can not wait any longer. Have you heard from Sirius 

lately? 

So he was right! It was about Sirius! Had he been captured?

Don't worry. We would know if the Ministry ever caught 

up to him. But Harry, he had heard rumours about a (and

this is in his words) "certain old friend of ours." I'm not 

sure, but he could have meant Peter. Sirius can be rash. It 

has been exactly two weeks since I last heard from him. I 

suppose that if he has not written directly to you, it is 

because he suspects someone is tracking his owls.

However, he thinks it would be best for you to find 

somewhere other than your relatives' home to stay before 

you return to Hogwarts. I'd have you come live with me 

during the holiday, yet it wouldn't be wise, you know. So, 

you might ask to stay with one of your friends over the 

summer. Write often whatever you do, Harry. By the way, 

I shall take up the Defense Against the Dark Arts post 

again this year. I would appreciate it if you kept that quiet 

though. Many would be understandably wary of a werewolf teaching their children, and neither Dumbledore nor myself wishes to cause premature and unnecessary hysteria. Take care Harry. 

We'll see each other soon. Remus

Had Sirius really gone out looking for Pettigrew? Wormtail could lead him straight to Voldemort who would surely murder him, just like he killed Harry's mom and dad. Harry brought his hand to his forehead; as he tried to think of something, anything he could do, he could feel the lightening bolt scar beneath his clammy palm. "Avada Kedavra", a flash of green light, and it's all over. 

He looked at Hedwig whose snowy white head was tilted in a sympathetic expression. " Lupin says not to worry, Hedwig, butWell, I guess later on, I'll let you take a letter to Ron." She gave a soft hoot, and Harry went downstairs to fix some toast before Aunt Petunia woke up. The parchment left on his desk fluttered from the summer breeze coming through his open window. 

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End of Part One

Ok. Well that's all for today. I'll try to get the next part up by the end of next week or sooner. It will probably be much longer. Review and let me know how I'm doing so far. (Wow. My first fan-fic! I deserve some ice cream.) Have a great summer everybody!


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